In his findings, Mr Stewart said the medical evidence was inconclusive as to whether this was the major or only factor in the 56-year-old’s death.

Recording an open conclusion, Mr Stewart said Mr Finlay, a divorced father of two, had previously suffered falls and seizures linked to his drinking and it was possible these were also factors.

“His death may be the result of alcoholism, but the evidence doesn’t allow me to conclude that,” he said.

“I extend to Mr Finlay’s family my sincere condolences for their loss, especially to his sons, who watched the deterioration of their father until this very tragic and sad end.”

'Turn up drunk'

The court heard from Mr Finlay’s ex-wife, Rebecca, who said the family had been living happily in Lightwater when her husband lost his job as a manager at a heating company in 1999.

She said her husband, known as Drew, began drinking regularly and this led to him being dismissed from another job in 2002.

She told the court that by 2004 she would "come home, afraid of what I would find".

In 2006, her husband’s "behaviour was increasingly aggressive and unpredictable", the inquest heard.

She filed for divorce and Mr Finlay left the family home in 2007, moving initially to Frimley Green and then to Frimley.

In a statement read out in court, Mrs Finlay said: “As the boys grew, they spent less time with their father. He would turn up drunk and this would embarrass them.

"Drew would go for periods without drinking, then start doing it again.”

Mrs Finlay said the last time she saw her ex-husband was in February last year, at their son’s football match.

“Drew used to be a smart dresser but he had lost a lot of weight and looked haggard,” she said.

"His flat was in a bad condition. I didn’t know how he could live like that.”

'Littered with empty vodka bottles'

Statements from doctors recalled that Mr Finlay was admitted to Frimley Park Hospital in December 2014 after a bad fall, and again last February following a seizure. Both incidents were thought to be alcohol-related.

His GP said Mr Finlay’s last visit had been in February 2015, when he complained of chest pains and difficulty with swallowing.

He was referred to hospital for tests but did not keep those appointments.

A statement from a police officer who discovered Mr Finlay’s body said his flat was "littered with empty vodka bottles".

The assistant coroner heard that nobody had been able to contact Mr Finlay for a fortnight before his body was found, but said it was unclear exactly when he had died.

“Mr Finlay enjoyed a number of years of happy family life,” he said.

“However, his debilitating alcoholism had a significant, detrimental impact on his ability to form and maintain relationships.”